And then there were none

Agatha Christie

Since the last few months, had this urge of reading her book, and this was suggested to me by a
friend. A 3 hour read, it is a very gripping yet non horror story. Suspense. Very known suspense yet baffling. The style of writing is very unique. I liked the simplicity with which she has narrated the whole story. Very simple language, intricate plot. Liked it.

The Romantics - Pankaj Mishra

I'm reminded of Pink Floyd. It goes so much beyond logic, it beats all logic, by the sheer simplicity and the flow. A very chilled book, it reminds me of my Gang in Chemical, IIT Bombay. We used to fantasize about how we would leave everything, go to North, read up stay in Manali, smoke up and live a simple life with high thinking. He has taken it forward. later story. How he fails and finds what he thought he would, how hs journey in the untold confusion of certainty and nihilism, ends up with him experiencing emotions which he hadn't expected to, and he moves on in the same way. The story doesn't end with the book. A very soothing story. The phrases he uses to describe the usual situations, suit so aptly. He uses the English language so perfectly.

Unbearable Lightness of Being - Q2-Q4

Continuing from where I left off, the book is quite on a different level than the others which I read. My friend had said, 'it is not a quite a fiction, it has so many explanations that it tends to get a wee boring', which is not quite unacceptable, but then I didn't feel the same way when I read it. Maybe it appealed to me in a very different way. It was like i didn't want to imagine with the writer while reading the book,i wanted explanations as and when I was in that situation and that is why I was reading the book. I didn't want to imagine, as my friend wanted to do in a novel, in a fiction.

And so, the explanations which he gives, are so apt, so logically sound and rational, He redefines the whole base of reason and certainty. The sexual fears, its relations to everyday life and the relation ship fears and the various phases a person goes through, are written down well. philosophically, it is a wonderful book. it might not appeal to someone who would assume to be in a culture shock on reading a book with so many infidelities, passages and metaphors about shit, being in a toilet and vomiting compared with sex. It might get too much. But the whole description of it all is very nicely done.

Impressions

Delhi. When I first visited Delhi, I was 12 years old, and with my family. You know how it is. You don't know whats happening. People are taking you everywhere, to see this that, and you somehow have to find fun in everything that is happening, trying to find some games/ice cream.. There was terrible heat, we were in old Delhi which was crowded like people waiting to get to heaven. The roads were full, with vehicles of all kinds, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, buses, bullock carts, etc. and no traffic signals. You can't imagine.

6 months ago, I went to Delhi to go to Ladakh. Stayed there for 4 days at a friends place in New Delhi. This time it was quite different. It wasn't that hot. It wasn't that crowded. It was with rules. Traffic Rules. Was with the University Road. The One with the Janpath. With Chandni Chowk. My My. What a place. The whole feel was different. There was a feel.
The article I wrote about it 6 months ago.. (http://sagar-gujju.blogspot.com/2008/06/dilli-durbar-so-having-listened.html)

A Mathematician's Apology

A very surprising titled book, by Mr. Hardy, confesses his life, his subject, and his group's inevitable way of life and viewpoints. Sarcastically, it may seem, it is a very heartily written essay, and sheds new light on what precision means.

Some of his ideas mix up with philosophy and make a stronger point than the latter. There is but an issue to be tackled. There is an inclination to believe from the essay, that philosophy is a lighter subject, lacking logic, which gives rise to many theories, and all of them being 'right' simultaneously. There are too many words being used to describe a concept/feeling. A whole book written which can be summarized in a paragraph. :)
While, Mathematics is purely, uniquely, and ubiquitously Right. There cannot be an ambiguity. Its is Exact. It doesn't use more than is required.

The reasons of pursuit of Maths is purely because of simple choices life presents. There is no higher purpose than others' occupations. He clearly states the reasons of a man's work, viz.:
1. Investigation of the Truth.
2. Professional Pride.
3. Ambition.

Everything else is derived from one or the combination of these. Any social Service for that matter is not because you want to do good to humanity, but rather you want to find the real reasons for the inequality, and your inner ambition is appreciation of yourself and satisfying your ego, at some level, be it in public, or with yourself when you are alone, justifying your good nature.

Another Statement which hits you is : 'There are very few people in this planet who can do one work extremely well, there are even fewer people who can do many things well, and there is probably no one who can do exactly two things nicely'.

He doesn't justify the mathematicians way of living, alone, pondering in a room, immersed in the same old book/paper for days on end. Though he does glorify the intellectual greatness that mathematicians HAVE to possess to continue with their careers. The aeshetics of Maths, is brought out in the light. Maths can't be felt by anyone, but a select few, and these people are doomed to life, and can't do anything else for good. Also, pure maths, which we are dealing with is unreal for the real world, it is not for Application, it is too pure to be applied to the real world. Too Succinct without any approximations of Engineers who kill the beauty.

It is humble, and proud at the same instant, flirts with the line of being sarcastic, but then its a mathematicians' work, it is as accurate as it can get, and laymen like me are unable to comprehend exactly what he means to describe.

Dilli Durbar

So having listened tirefully to the comparison of delhi bombay lifestyles, youth, public temperaments and food, I finally landed off the artistic name, Hazrat Nizamuddin finding vibhu's car in the parking lot in the direction of Sarai Kalekhan. Smoking a puff after 14 hours, being full with the plethora of food provided by the 2 tier AC, felt the stench and the invitations from the rickshaw-wallas. Cycle rickshaw, I was yet to discover involves more mehnat than the auto, but earns more too, due to less maintenance and cutting off petrol. Maybe this is the future of no-oil world.

Reaching Vibhu's kothi, a perfect place to be out of the city, with a 2500 sq.ft. apartment, in a locality like Shivaji Park. Roads so wide they could fit 3 buses going one way itself. Public so less in number on spaces so empty, it feels like Jamnagar. A town with noone interested in earning money. No one running so fast so as to leave a breath. Everyone is so calm, composed, waiting non-eagerly for the next bus, walking down the lane, continuing the lanes of their lives with such well known ignorance, so deep felt knowledge of the so perfect living conditions, satisfied.

Desires and ambitions are but a farce here. Its all integrated in the whole thinking. Having roamed around Palika, realized the difference of salesmanship and capitalistic structure. While in Bombay, store handlers would attract customers with such force, but be inviting. They would succumb to the customers satisfaction of being right, believing the customer is always right. Here its not the case. The pride of running a store, the self respect of being right, and the right to sell a thing for he/she chooses it for, is more important. Can't judge either. Each has its own charm. Capitalism v/s Dignity.

Being drunk at a SP watching India beat Pakistan to a target of 300, felt good. Reaching home felt bad. Not because it was home, but it was past 12. Aunty was angry. And it was not different as happens with my Mom in Bombay. So some things are the same in both the cities. :)

Had met Vibhu's cousin, the jugadumax banda. Knows all the optimal paths around here, the best bars, the best ice creams, best buys from any shopping place, and everything possible in a city. Cute yet street smart.

Girls. Heard that Delhi girls are hot, hotter than the ones in Bombay, contrary to my experience. We visited entire Delhi, well almost, I couldn't visit any mall (Yes, i know missed the hotspots)
We landed at Chandni Chowk traveling in the local bus + auto, and landed in somewhere very synergetic. Its a mixture of everything possible. Cosmopolitan. Stood beside the Red Fort, overlooking the Jain Derasar, roamed around to see the cloth merchants and kirane type shops, past a Baptist Church. Visited the Gurudwara of Sri Tej Bahadur's Martyrdom. First time ever.
Felt good. Haldirams was just fantastic. The best various types of sweets are showcased so beautifully.

We bought a smoke extension type of a hukka, for 10 bux. Its awsum. Cancelled my date at gurgaon, and moved on to Jama Masjid. A very simple yet grand structure with very colourful surroundings, we climbed to the top for a view of old delhi. Thousands of homes in yellow, green, red, maroon, chawl type, with small lanes in between them, just like Bombay's slums seen from the top of my building. Just more colourful, and with chawls replacing the shanties. Very glary, goddy and nice. Gives a feel to the city. Have you seen the Pink city from the top of the fort there? Just like that, with everything of a different colour. Brilliant.

Buying small balls which inflate on immersing in water, moved on cycle rickshaw towards the metro, and I was shocked. Exactly like the one seen in Germany. Exact. Couldn't comprehend my feelings. I was taken aback of what India was upto here, how advanced it has become or at least is on its way to the same, and at the same time, filled with shame and disgust as to the sight of local Virar trains in my mind, lack of even a similar trial there for the travel of 5 million people, in the financial capital of a country, where the political capital is enjoying such privileges never seen anywhere in the subcontinent. Maybe such are national dearies. Unable to control my anger, I have to project the facts once again, repeated so many times, but yet since rediscovering something by yourself that someone else has pointed out has its own pleasure. 40 % of national capital arises from Bombay, while Delhi accounts to about 5 %, while the facilities provided in Delhi, the roads, Metro, Spaces, Parks, dignity, is far above what should be expected by a normal Delhiite. Maybe this is the difference between expectation from a capitalistic point of view and the Delhi mindset, the more cultured, more relaxed, calm, composed, with an air of self-pride and non-materialistic way of life. Bombay lacks what is the meaning of a slow, peaceful, coming home taking family for a paan, talking of a teenagers outing and maintaining a distance interaction. Even the most hep children touching their parents feet every morning as a pranaam, it is really different. Can't imagine doing that at my place, I would laugh at myself while doing it. Its just made us that way.

Continued our expedition to the Delhi University but no luck, vacations going on, so we just sat up at a local earing seller and we started chatting ourselves to glory. He was surprisingly very friendly with us, once we got interested in his items. We had chay-sutta with him, and bot 200 bux worth of crap wear. :D
Then we moved to Kamala Market, 2 km walk, and bought nothing. Just looked around for bird watching. Decided to take an auto finally, however inordinate amount of money it took. Being back, I feel satisfied as to see Delhi.

Very different, not very simple to navigate due to its circly shape, (not like bombay, 2 straight lines of railway), people being one single minded - capitalistic, and very helpful because everybody knows it not possible to survive without each others' help here, be it local or safety during night, or a local daru khana. Most of you might have realized what I'm trying to say from this not so well explained piece of blog. Anwyays, Delhi is a nice place to be and stay for long.
But not for Bombayites. We are too used to this fast non family materialistic moving lifestyle with an urge to get more and more and more. But then, More is More is More. (A Rose is a Rose is a Rose?)